


the drabbles

by helios_ (neocitz)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-06-09 05:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15260640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neocitz/pseuds/helios_
Summary: a series of prompted drabbles4. hyuckmin and needing to rival each other no matter the occasion5. nohyuck and  donghyuck vs people being biased against magic6. markyong/markhei where mark has spent so long crushing after his hero and not realizing that his best friend is in love with him7. jihyuck going to prom





	1. – renhyuck pjo au –

**Author's Note:**

> un-beta'd drabbles
> 
> i decided that i need to get back into just writing a bit more between the longer fics, i won't tag anything for now because then it'll get bogged down in tags but let me know if we really need them

Donghyuck still feels out of place, on the last day of summer, with his bright orange shirt and the string of beads that hang around his neck. His bag is at his feet, a worn thing that’s seen years of the back and forth between camp and home, and he kicks it around just so that he has something to do.

‘So, you’re going now?’

Renjun Huang, with his purple shirt and his tattooed forearms, smiles up at Donghyuck. Donghyuck heard a lot of things, before he was sent to Camp Jupiter, and Renjun fits none of those things. His smile is bright and his laughter is loud, and Donghyuck’s been breathless since the first time he saw Renjun spar a boy two times his size and win.

‘Yeah,’ he says, voice aching and dry in his throat. ‘School starts in a couple of days and my mum wants me to settle in before going back.’

‘And then it’s back to Camp Half Blood next year?’ Renjun asks. Donghyuck nods, because this was just a once off, an attempt to mend the bridges between the two camps. ‘You better text me,’ he jokes but his shoulders are too tight and his jaw is clenched.

‘I promise,’ Donghyuck says, and if it were Jeno or Jaemin he might grab their hands and look in their eyes as he says it. But he can’t because he doesn’t know what to do with his hands, his eyes, his smile. ‘You’re already a part of the group chat anyway.’

Renjun’s number and countless others have been added into his phone, but Renjun’s the only one who has wormed his way into the group chat Donghyuck has with his campmates on the East Coast. Jeno and Jaemin seem to like him, and Donghyuck’s fairly sure that the four of them are friends.

Even so, the thought of _not_ contacting Renjun has Donghyuck scared, worried that he’d lose this bright and fierce boy to the memories of a summer away.

There’s a moment, before Renjun holds his hand out. It’s firm and strong, and Donghyuck can see the crossed spears and the horizontal lines that betrays him as a regular at Camp Jupiter. He clasps his hand around the older boy’s forearm, the two of them standing in silence because there aren’t enough words to fill the space between them. Or too many.

‘I’ll see you,’ Donghyuck promises as he draws away, lifting his bag over his shoulder. He doesn’t want to leave, but he knows that if he doesn’t then he’ll miss the flight his mother and step-father picked out for him.

Renjun nods, waving Donghyuck off as the younger demi-god jogs over to the bus that will taking him to the airport. There are only a couple of other kids going with him, some as young as eight and some older than Donghyuck, and Yukhei pats the seat next to him on the bus in silent invitation.

‘Donghyuck?’

He turns.

Renjun jogs forward, and throws his arms around Donghyuck’s shoulders to draw him into a fierce hug. Donghyuck wraps around him, pressing his face into Renjun’s hair because he wants to remember every aspect of his boy for as long as he can.

‘I’ll miss you,’ Renjun mutters, and when he draws back his eyes are looking everywhere except where Donghyuck is. He draws something out of his pocket and presses it into Donghyuck’s hand. ‘I’ll see you,’ he repeats back, before stepping back and pushing Donghyuck onto the bus.

(When Donghyuck opens his hand, there’s a bead sitting in the palm of it. It’s rough, handmade if he guesses, and a lyre and two swords are painted with surprising detail. Donghyuck laughs, and threads it onto his necklace to sit with his fondest memories.)


	2. - renwin urban fantasy -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a longer version of this i hope to one day write, but for now this is a little snippet of cuddling 
> 
> feel free to leave ships or aus in my cc for this collection

Sicheng wakes up to silence.

He knows that Yuta probably spent the night at his boyfriend’s place and Taeil’s on holiday in New Zealand exploring Hobbiton. For months he’s had Yuta attached to one side and Taeil attached to the other. Sometimes he can’t even go to the toilet without one of them whining that they want a cuddle. Today is quiet and still.

Frigid air hits his body as he stumbles through the apartment, just enough to make him pull on a hoodie that’s probably not his. He forgot that the heating’s broken, the reason that Yuta’s staying away.

He grabs his keys and phone, flinching against the cold linoleum of the counter, and stuffs his freezing toes into some slippers. If it were any warmer day, he might take advantage of the emptiness of the apartment.

‘Renjun,’ his voice is low and crackling to his own ears, it’s obvious he just woke up even though it’s almost midday. ‘I’m coming over.’

There’s silence over the phone before a small laugh, ‘Don’t worry, I’m already on my way up.’

Sicheng lets out a laugh, dropping his keys back onto the counter. He doesn’t think Yuta or Taeil would mind if he borrows some of their spare blankets, so he pads around the apartment dragging out as many throws and pillows as he can to drape them over the couch.

It’s a mess, but it looks comfortable.

When Renjun arrives, he’s wrapped in too-big track pants and a cardigan that he probably stole from Kun. It’s cute, but the words stick in Sicheng’s throat as he lets Renjun shuffle through the open door. It’s probably minutely warmer in the corridor of their apartment complex, he can’t help but realise.

‘It’s so cold,’ Renjun huffs, shoving off his shoes and slipping into the pair that he keeps at Sicheng’s. ‘I woke up to find the others curled up in Jeno’s bed. I can’t believe they didn’t invite me.’

‘It’s because you steal blankets,’ Sicheng laughs, following Renjun through to the living room. The younger man lets out an approving hum, shifting some of the blankets around before climbing into the nest of blankets. ‘And kick in your sleep.’

‘I don’t kick in my sleep!’

Sicheng lifts up the hem of his pyjama pants, pointing to the purpling bruise on the back of his calf. Renjun coughs and turns away, and Sicheng grins as he climbs onto the couch as well. He’s not the touchiest of people, takes a moment or two to ease into the casual affection that all his friends revel in, but it’s easy with Renjun. He leans into Renjun’s body, just close enough that they’re pressed side to side and Sicheng can press cold lips to Renjun’s forehead.

It’s only then that he realises that Renjun’s unnaturally warm.

‘You didn’t,’ he laughs. Renjun looks up at him, little tilt to his smile as he pulls his hands out of his hoodie’s pocket. ‘ _You did.’_

In the palm of Renjun’s hand sits a dragon’s egg. It’s large and smooth, nothing to betray the type of dragon that’s resting inside it. Sicheng places his hand on top of it, feeling the fire of the its heart flickering and warming his hand. It’s achingly similar

‘It’s probably close to hatching,’ Renjun defends, placing it between them on a pillow. ‘I want it to be with both of us when it happens.’

Sicheng shakes his head, ‘and it has nothing to do with the fact it’s also a little portable heater.’

‘Not at all,’ Renjun grins, toothy and wide. ‘We’re going to be _the best_ dragon parents.’

Sicheng presses his lips to Renjun’s and draws back to stroke a hand over their dragon egg. ‘We are.’


	3. - tenkun wedding planning -

The thing is, Ten and Kun aren’t even the first to get married. Johnny and Jaehyun got that out of the way months ago, although no-one knows exactly when. They _are_ the first to have a wedding, full-blown wedding with cake tastings and music selections and dance classes and catering.

It’s been an entire event and Kun’s bordering on getting tired with it. He’s shortlisted the venue, shortlisted the flowers, sent out the invitations. The cake was supposed to be the easy part of the planning. Ten’s got a love for sweets, and it was just supposed to be a nice day out for the two of them between suit fittings and table arrangements and calling up relatives to confirm if they were coming.

Supposed to be, because Kun had spent fifteen minutes making awkward small talk with the baker that morning before Ten bothered texting him. Supposed to be, because the texts were full of excuses that Kun was too tired to read. Supposed to be, because Ten never turned up and Kun ended up eating sample after sample on his own.

Kun picked out a cake, got home and climbed in bed and hasn’t gotten out since.

‘I’m home!’ Ten’s voice is bright, _too_ bright and it’s enough to fracture that ball of stress in Kun’s chest. Kun hates to cry, he’s built his life on being the kind one, the serene one, the happy one but            the corners of his eyes are burning and that’s all it takes for him to bury his head in their pillows.

‘ _Babe_?’

Kun hears the door swing open, hears Ten’s feet against the carpeted floor, but he doesn’t look up. Even when Ten climbs into the bed, curling around him from behind with cold fingers and toes, Kun doesn’t turn around because he hates to let Ten see him cry.

‘What’s wrong?’ The smile’s dropped out of Ten’s voice, and he worms a hand around Kun to lace their fingers together. ‘Hey, _hey_ , talk to me.’

‘I’m just… tired.’ The moment he speaks, his voice cracks into something that could almost be a sob.

‘Long day?’ Ten presses a kiss to the back of Kun’s neck, and it should feel like a comfort but Kun’s a second away from breaking. _He_ wasn’t the one who bailed out last minute.

‘Long engagement,’ Kun bites out. Ten freezes against his back and Kun barely holds back a curse, turning to look at Ten. ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’

Ten’s not mad, not yet. But there’s something cold in his eyes. ‘What did you mean then?’

‘You were supposed to come today,’ Kun draws back, ‘to the bakery. But you didn’t, and it’s just another thing that I’ve done on my own since we decided we were going to do the big white wedding. Which, by the way, we haven’t even decided on, because you haven’t had a look at the colour schemes for the reception yet.’

‘I told you, I was busy,’ Ten says, and he doesn’t sound as mad, sounds a little lost as his eyes widen under Kun’s gaze. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘We’re _both_ busy, Ten.’ Kun just wants to curl back down into the bed, to sleep this off and start the morning fresh. But he _needs_ to say this, he thinks. ‘I’m busy, planning this wedding and trying to balance work and _chasing after you_. But I turn up, because we promised this was going to be _our_ wedding.’

Ten nods, and he stands up, and he walks out of the room.

Kun sighs, and lets his head drop to his knees. He wipes away the tears that have streaked down his cheeks, frustration starving them of falling too heavily, and debates whether he should call Sicheng.

Then, he hears Ten walk back into the room and looks up to see the man holding the file that Kun’s used to organise the planning in one hand, and a large cup of tea in the other. He hands the cup of tea to Kun, who holds it to his chest.

‘Okay,’ Ten drops the massive arch lever file onto the bed between them. There’s determination in his brow, and fierceness in his eyes and Kun feels something in his chest loosen and untangle.  ‘My turn.’

Kun smiles, curls around Ten’s back and watches.


	4. - hyuckmin rivals -

‘You’re not going to do this again, are you? Can you be nice? _Just this once._ ’

‘I am always nice, Marcus Lee,’ Donghyuck sniffs, ignoring Mark’s exasperated _My name isn’t Marcus!_  

It is a cool night and even though the cinema is going to be heated, the rest of the world isn’t. Unfortunately, Donghyuck didn’t account for this when getting ready for the night, and the biting chill settles between his thin shirt and skin, and in the rips of his skinny jeans. Despite his firm determination to be unaffected by the wind, Jaemin seems to notice Donghyuck’s shivering.

‘Look here, _someone_ didn’t dress for the weather, did they?’ Jaemin taunts, low and mocking as Jeno greets Mark with a too-quick kiss and a too-broad smile. Donghyuck can’t even do his cursory complaining about how cute the couple is, because Jaemin’s already throwing a jacket around his shoulders. ‘You know you’re lucky that I actually check the weather forecast, prepare for these things. We wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.’

‘Shut up,’ Donghyuck hisses, even as he tugs Jaemin’s warm, large, nice-smelling jacket tighter around himself. ‘It was only for a few minutes, you’re going to overheat once we’re actually inside watching a movie.’

‘Layers, Donghyuck. _Layers_.’ Jaemin tugs on his jumper, and for the first time Donghyuck realises that Jaemin’s wearing a woollen jumper over a button up shirt and looks very put together. He looks ridiculously good, while Donghyuck is sure that he looks like he rolled out of bed and grabbed the first thing he could reach.

‘Yeah but who of us is going to have a pile of clothes on our lap halfway through the movie.’

Donghyuck and Jaemin follow the other two into the cinema, bickering just low enough that neither of their best friends turn around to glare. (Or worse, give them that sad imploring look, begging them to _get along because we want you to be friends, it’s important to us_.)

‘Will you be paying together or—’

‘Together,’ Donghyuck says, handing over his loyalty card and debit card. He peeks out of the corner of his eyes to see Jaemin’s lips pursed into the most frustrated little frown and can’t hold back his own smirk.

‘I can pay for my own ticket.’

‘And I’m not letting you.’

‘Fine, just give me my ticket,’ Jaemin’s voice is harsh, a small victory. ‘I need to use the bathroom first.’

‘Whatever.’ Donghyuck rolls his eyes, handing the piece of paper over to Jaemin as he heads towards the specific cinema.

 

The lights are dimming when Donghyuck hears Jaemin’s voice, low and full of apologies as he squeezes through the aisle.

‘Took your… _time.’_

Jaemin has an arm full of popcorn, two drinks in hand and a smirk on his face. The bastard. He eases down into his seat, handing a drink over to Donghyuck and placing the popcorn between them. He throws an arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders.

‘I win.’


	5. - nohyuck witchcraft au -

Donghyuck tugs his jumper sleeves, slipping the bottoms of them low over his palms as they wander through the train station. Renjun and Jaemin are bent over a notebook, trying to decipher the directions that Taeyong had given them earlier, but Jeno is pacing more slowly at his side as he flicks through his phone. A quick glance shows that he's  _still_ playing Pokemon Go even after all these years. Donghyuck can't comment before someone shoves past them with a spit of angry slurs. He assumes.   
  
'Leave it,' Donghyuck's fingers curl into Jeno's cardigan as the boy lurches in the direction of the businessman. 'He's not worth it.'  
  
'But you are.'  
  
Even with Donghyuck's incantations covered, stark black lines only just peeking out from beneath his hoodie near his neck, it's obvious that he is a witch. Magic drips off Donghyuck, a sour and bitter taste at the back of the throat, so strong that even the most ordinary human can pick up on the power that he holds back.   
  
'You're just going to get both of us in trouble.' He keeps his voice low, not wanting to alert Jaemin or Renjun of what had just transpired, what was still going on around them with the side-eyes and the skittering around them. Renjun might look human, but they couldn't risk him going full-dragon in the middle of a train station. 'We're supposed to be on holiday.'  
  
'Which means that you're supposed to be having a good time. Not hiding away from everyone that comes your way.'  
  
Jeno is so adorably affronted that it eases a little bit of that knot in Donghyuck's chest, the one that tells him to run away from the humans and hide in the woods. His brow drops into a frown as he throws an arm around Donghyuck's shoulders and pull him that bit closer.   
  
'What are you going to do to fight them off?' Donghyuck smiles into Jeno's neck as Jeno follows Renjun and Jaemin's fumbling attempts to navigate. 'I'm the one with the supernatural powers.'  
  
'I'll have you know, that just because I'm a human doesn't mean I can't be threatening,' Jeno puffs his chest out, tipping his chin up. 'I'm just as scary as you, Mr Witchman.'  
  
'Sure you are,' Donghyuck says, and it's enough at least for the moment to distract him. Enough to keep their steps moving, enough to make him remember that it isn't always awful.


	6. - markhei realisations -

‘You know, if I didn’t say any better, I’d say you still have a crush on Taeyong,’ Jaehyun laughs as Mark keeps turning towards the door whenever someone slips through. ‘I thought you got over that like? four years ago.’

‘I did,’ Mark mutters, eyes fixed on the front door. ‘And it wasn’t a crush, not really. I just admired him, you know?’

‘Mark,’ Jaehyun laughs, ‘it was a crush. You’re allowed to say that.’

‘But I never wanted to follow through with it. He’s amazing and funny and gorgeous but,’ Mark finally turns back to look at Jaehyun, ‘I never wanted to follow through with it. I was happy just liking him, in an abstract way.’

And it’s true.

Mark still likes Taeyong, in the heart-fluttering state of admiration and respect. He is still knocked breathless by Taeyong’s sudden smiles and hugs, and stutters when Taeyong plies him with praise. But he doesn’t want to _date_ Taeyong, he’s happy to watch from afar.

It’s then that Taeyong returns, the door flying open as Johnny leads Taeyong through like a king. It’s been a month since they last saw him, flying overseas for an internship in Japan that no-one saw coming but absolutely thought Taeyong deserved.

He’s beautiful, hair soft and falling in his eyes and smile on his face as he greets everyone. It only grows when he sees Yuta, reaching out for the other boy. It was a sad sort of irony, the Korean boyfriend in Japan and the Japanese boyfriend in Korea, but the look on their faces when they’re reunited is gorgeous.

Mark’s sure that the clapped hand on his shoulder from Jaehyun is supposed to be sympathetic, but he barely cares. Seeing Taeyong happy is enough to make Mark happy, without bitterness or sadness.

‘I picked up another surprise at the airport,’ Johnny announces, his loud voice echoing through the living room that all the boys are crammed into. ‘Taeyong’s flight got in _hours_ ago, but we had to wait.’

‘What for?’ Jaehyun calls over the murmur of their friends, the hushed welcome backs and the confusion that scatters through the crowd.

Johnny steps aside.

Yukhei’s been gone longer than Taeyong. Left a few months before because he was doing a full semester abroad, as opposed to just a short internship. He’s not gotten taller, or broader, because he’s always been tall and broad, but his hair’s been cut and he looks around at everyone as the second wave of excitement rushes through the entire room.

Mark’s skyped him twice a week since Yukhei left, he hasn’t _missed_ Yukhei. Not like he’s supposed to, but something stops him dead in his tracks.

Yukhei is hugging to him and he looks up and over the younger boy’s shoulder at Mark. He smiles over his shoulder at Mark, like he has done for years. There’s something warm, and bright and gorgeous in his eyes and Mark feels everything get knocked off-kilter because _oh_ , that’s the same look that Taeyong had when he saw Yuta.


	7. -jihyuck prom-

They had all agreed to go in a group, that no-one was going to pair off or find a date for the uni ball. That had been the plan three months ago, at least, when Chenle had slammed a piece of paper onto the table and declared that there will be no third wheeling at the uni ball. He had written it all out, with clauses and signatures that had been witnessed by a bored Sicheng and amused Jaehyun. The contract had actually been fairly legit, probably thanks to Chenle’s latest unit on Contract Law.

 Their small group of seven was going to go to the uni ball together, or not go at all.

Then, the fucking traitor, Chenle had been asked by Lucas-in-Mark’s-Year and accepted it with no small amount of excitement.

Out of solidarity, the remaining six of them had decided to go in a group to spite Chenle. But then Jeno and Mark started dating, shyly deciding they wanted to go together. Donghyuck would have said it was cute, Jeno leaning over to whisper _wanna go together?_ into Mark’s ear when he thought no-one was paying attention. But he didn’t on pure principle because they were Mark and Jeno and neither were cute.

Renjun and Jaemin were the next, and final, traitors. Donghyuck couldn’t blame Jaemin because it was damn near impossible to not fall for Jungwoo’s soft, but determined tone. The only person who was immune to it was Kun, so the legends went. Renjun and Sicheng, however, he most certainly did blame because not only did Renjun sign Chenle’s contract, Sicheng _witnessed_ it.

‘You are the only good person left in this group of traitors,’ Donghyuck grumbles, adjusting Jisung’s tie because the youngest of their little group still couldn’t work out how to tie his tie despite being a whole nineteen years old with access to YouTube. ‘I can’t believe the lot of them.’

‘At least we’re third-wheeling together?’ Jisung’s voice is soft and when Donghyuck looks up at him, he’s looking away from him.

‘True, it would be pretty damn awful to do this alone. We’re single together, which is far superior to being together-together,’ Donghyuck sniffs, but he can’t help a more genuine smile from creeping across his face moments later. ‘Thanks, for not abandoning me and inviting someone. You could have, I wouldn’t have _actually_ minded. You know that, right?’

‘I didn’t have anyone I wanted to invite,’ Jisung says.

‘Don’t lie.’ Because he knows there’s someone, even if Jisung and Jaemin refuse to tell him who it is.

‘I didn’t.’ The thing is that Jisung’s voice is firmer, that little bit of strength beneath his words that Donghyuck’s always admired. ‘Everyone I need for a good night is going to be there.’

‘If you say so,’ Donghyuck tsks, stepping back from Jisung and giving him a quick one over. Gone is the child who Donghyuck had grown up with, and Jisung stands tall and proud. ‘All done.’

‘How do I look?’ Jisung asks, quiet.

Donghyuck smiles, ‘Good.’

 

 

The ball is just on the edge of too fancy for Donghyuck’s taste. The food and wine are good, and the company is even better, but he probably could have thrown something similar in the backyard of his parents’ place.

‘Go dance,’ Jaemin says, waving at hand at the dance floor where most of their friends are trying to tone down their skills. ‘It’s more fun than just sitting here.’

‘Who with? You are all paired up.’ His tone is a little snide, but Donghyuck knows that Jaemin doesn’t take it seriously when the younger boy laughs and leans more into Jungwoo’s side. They are, as they announced moments before, all danced out and need some downtime to cuddle.

‘Jisung,’ Jaemin points to where Jisung is moving to the music quietly. For someone who has A Reputation when it comes to dance, he looks awkward on the floor with a drink in hand. ‘He wants to dance with you, you know.’

‘Only because the rest of you are all slow dancing to everything.’

‘Donghyuck,’ Jaemin sits up, leaning forward to look at him. ‘Do you know why, out of all of us, Jisung was the only one who didn’t get a date to the dance?’

‘Because he was faithful to the contract that we signed.’

‘Because he was afraid, of asking who he wanted to ask.’

Donghyuck looks at Jaemin, his lips pursed into a small pout, ‘He told me that he didn’t have anyone he wanted to invite, that everyone he wanted here was here.’

‘Maybe the person he wanted to ask was already coming.’ Jaemin’s gaze is heavy, and powerful and makes Donghyuck feel exposed like a raw nerve when he stands. ‘Dance with him. He’s afraid to ask, but you’re not. Are you?’

Donghyuck stands up, on unsteady feet and makes his way over to Jisung. The younger man stops, and looks at Donghyuck with something that is almost confusion. The words stick to Donghyuck’s mouth, but he takes Jisung’s hand and Jisung smiles.

_Oh._


	8. - space dreamies -

They're laughing into the night when it happens, Donghyuck hanging from Jeno's shoulders and Jisung shoving Jaemin away as the older boy tries to press another kiss to his cheek. One moment all they can hear is their own laughter, the next there's an echoing boom and the earth shakes beneath their feet.

'What the fuck was that?' Renjun looks out into the night, in the direction of the sound. 'Shit, we're going to die? Aren't we?'

'We're not going to die,' Donghyuck sniffs, pulling himself away from Jeno. 'There's seven of us, and Chenle'll scare off anything that tries to attack us while Mark calls for help. We've been _over_ this, Injun.'

'I still don’t know why I'm the bait,' Chenle mutters, 'I mean... Isn't Jisung... Hyuck where are you going?'

'To investigate!'

Donghyuck grins over his shoulder before jogging towards the sound, ignoring the disgruntled insults thrown after him as he runs through the night. There's no doubt that the others are following a few steps behind because they would never leave him like this.

Donghyuck isn't sure he'll find anything, not with the sound already having dissipated and the rumbling stopped, but moments later he starts to see the signs of damage. Cracks run through the concrete, getting larger and larger the more he follows them.

'I don't think is a good idea,' he can hear Mark whisper, and Donghyuck turns to roll his eyes at the oldest of their small group. This is an _adventure_ and he's not going to let Mark ruin it for him by doing something as annoying as talk the others out of this.

'You don't think anything is a good idea, unless it involves sucking face with Jaehyun from down the street.'

A scandalised gasp rises from the rest of the group, even as Mark lets out a strangled _Hyuck, I'm not ..._

'You so are, and we all know it,' Donghyuck's voice fades because in the middle of the road, abandoned and destroyed as it is, sits a giant, shiny metal ball. 'Okay, now I'm starting to panic a little bit. I was not expecting this.'

'What the fuck were you expecting then?'

Donghyuck shrugs, backing up until he's standing with the rest of the small group of boys he calls his best friends. A quick glance at them shows that Jisung is silent, Jeno is pale and Renjun is far too interested for his own good. Donghyuck can't help reaching out to wrap his hands around Renjun's arms.

'Maybe you guys were right, maybe we should head back,' he says, but Renjun pulls himself forward.

'You've already got us this far, I don't see why we can't keep trying,' Renjun says. 'I'm going to touch it.'

'You aren't going to touch it,' Jaemin hisses.

'Yes, I am.'

Donghyuck can't breathe, because this is a giant metal ball that presumably fell from a very great distance to destroy the road as it has. He's not sure if he's afraid or excited. There've been nights where they've snuck out to investigate and found nothing more interesting than a cat giving birth. (Jeno found that one particularly interesting, and says it was their best adventure yet.)

But this blows everything out of the water.

'Renjun, _don’t,_ ' Mark barely spits out before Renjun darts forward and presses his palm to the orb for a moment and skittering back. There's a glint of something in his eyes, and Donghyuck can't help but admire the other boy's determination, his daring.

'See, harmless...' Renjun trails off, because the orb hisses. 'Okay, fuck, maybe less harmless than I thought.'

'Run,' Mark advises, but Donghyuck is glued to the spot as the others rush past him. The orb is opening, he thinks, blooming like a flower and it spreads a harsh white light across the road, the shadow of a figure standing in the middle of the road.

'Where am I?' the figure asks.

'Fuck,' Donghyuck starts.

'He's hot,' Renjun finishes.


	9. - hyuckhei trapped in a grocery store -

'Please, please say that you can save me,' Donghyuck hisses into his phone, walking through the aisles of the grocery store. 'I might actually die tonight.'

' _You're not going to die_ ,' Mark says, the unfeeling bastard. _'Johnny and Taeyong'll be there in like an hour and a half can you hold out until then?_ '

'NO!' Donghyuck winces, and then casts a look across the store to where Yukhei is sorting through the instant noodles packets. 'I need you to come now, like in two minutes or something before I say something dumb and embarrass myself more.'

 _'Dude, I can't. I've got Jaemin's dance recital right now, I can't just leave he's been preparing for this for months._ '

'So you're saying your boyfriend is more important than your younger brother? Your poor, sad younger brother who is locked inside the store with the fucking,' Donghyuck pauses, making sure Yukhei isn't eavesdropping, 'love of his life and could potentially die from how hot he is?'

A pause, and then, ' _Yes._ '

'Mark Lee, you are no longer my favourite brother.'

' _You could have just remembered to pack your key, then you wouldn't be in this mess,_ ' and Donghyuck hates that Mark's right. The only reason that he and Yukhei are locked in here was because Donghyuck didn't think to bring his spare key for his family's grocery store and he accidentally locked them in. _'And anyway, why don't you use today to, I don't know,_ talk _to Yukhei? Perhaps you can get a date out of it!_ '

'Shut up.'

He hangs up on Mark, mid-protest and debates on calling Johnny to let him out earlier. But before he can, to whine at Johnny and Taeyong, Yukhei leans over the aisle with that blinding smile on his face.

'No luck with Mark?'

'He's a fucking traitor,' Donghyuck says, tucking his phone away. 'I would have come if he had locked himself in the store.'

Yukhei levels Donghyuck with an amused look, and Donghyuck wants to melt into the ground because how is he supposed to deal with this sort of beauty, both inside and out, without someone to distract Yukhei so he can scream into his fist.

'We both know Mark wouldn't have fucked up like this.'

And okay, ow, maybe that hurts a little bit. Yes, Donghyuck made a mistake in not making sure that the back door was open when he told his dad that he'd count the registers and let the man lock up the front of the store, but it wasn't a massive fuck up.

Yukhei must see something flicker across Donghyuck's face, because he leans forward, eyes wide. 'Hey, no... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that to you.'

'Well, it's not like you're wrong,' Donghyuck shrugs. 'I'm always the one that does the dumb, and I've dragged you into this.'

Yukhei walks around the aisle, and damn it this is not the time to be thinking about how tall and broad Yukhei is. But he's literally all that Donghyuck can see, all that he can focus on to distract him from the fact that yeah, maybe Mark is the perfect child and Donghyuck might be significantly less capable.

'You made a mistake,' Yukhei says, 'and it's fine. We just have to wait for one of your brothers to come and let is out again. It won't be long, right?'

'An hour and a half, at least.'

'An hour and a half for just me and you then!' Yukhei says and his smile grows. Donghyuck doesn't know how he does it, how Yukhei manages to light up a room with just a smile and a laugh. 'It's going to be great, I promise. You won't even notice that we're trapped inside your family's grocery store.'

Donghyuck can't help but nod. He believes Yukhei, because how can you not when Yukhei is confident and bright and so carefree.

'What do you propose we do then?' he says, mustering up some of his own confidence and strength to keep up with Yukhei and hopefully not get overwhelmed by the older boy's presence. 'Because we're going to be here a while and the wifi's down.'

Yukhei shrugs. 'Get comfortable, have a talk, get to know each other?'

'Sounds good.'

Maybe Mark was right, maybe he should make the best of his situation. It's been a while, since he and Yukhei had spent any time together alone (mainly because Donghyuck sometimes can't comprehend how someone so imperfectly perfect exists) and this is the best time to try. Donghyuck can hopefully charm Yukhei with his smile and wit.

'Excellent,' Yukhei says, before stripping off his jumper.

Donghyuck lets out a strangled sound, because _arms_.

'You okay there, Hyuck?' Yukhei asks.

'Yeah,' Donghyuck manages.

Today is going to be a lot more difficult than anticipated.


	10. - johnyong coffee shop -

'You drink too much coffee,' Taeyong scolds, placing the cup down next to Johnny. 'I shouldn't be saying this to a customer, but seeing as the last few coffees have been free, I'm going to say it.'

Johnny looks up from his laptop, eyes open and wide as he shakes himself from the editing he's been working on since he arrived at least two hours earlier.

'I'm sorry, I've said that I'd pay if you want me to?'

Taeyong rolls his eyes, 'That's not what I meant. I don't mind that you're not paying for coffee, it's _fine_ but I am worried about your body. Are you sure you should be drinking this much coffee?'

Johnny flushes a light pink, and it's more than a little bit cute in Taeyong's opinion. 'I'm perfectly fine, but thank you for worrying Taeyong.'

Taeyong shakes his head, taking the old cup from Johnny and sliding it to the side. He knows that Johnny is a grown man, but he can't help but wonder how much coffee he should actually be drinking, he's already spent so much money at their café, even before Taeyong started to give him free refills. The benefit of it all is that Taeyong can sneak in a bit of decaf when Johnny is sitting at the table, rather than waiting and watching Taeyong behind the counter.

'What are you doing, anyway?' Taeyong asks, slipping into the seat next to Johnny to peer at photoshop. 'I thought your final project was already submitted?'

'It's just a passion project, for a couple of friends,' Johnny explains, zooming out so that Taeyong can see the whole image as opposed to the small fraction that he had been touching up in the corner. 'I take photos for the drama society, promotion and that kind of stuff.'

'That's really cool,' Taeyong leans in, admiring the way Johnny has captured the fierceness of the actor's face. 'Do you do it often or?'

'Just at the start of every season. I'm more of a candid photographer, I like getting photos in the moment than staging something and taking a photo of it.'

'Yeah? What kind of photos do you take?'

'My friends, family, people I love, people who are special.'

It's sweet and Taeyong can't help but smile up at Johnny. 'But you haven't taken any photos of me! Are you saying I'm not special to you Johnny?'

Johnny coughs. 'I mean, I could if you want? You _are_ special, aren't you Taeyong?'

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](http://twitter.com/neocitz) | [cc](http://curiouscat.me/neocitz)


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